


η σιωπή είναι χρυσός

by Kasuna_Kotonoha



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M, Minor Calypso/Leo Valdez, Mute! Leo Valdez, Sign Language, selective mutism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:20:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21995905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kasuna_Kotonoha/pseuds/Kasuna_Kotonoha
Summary: Annabeth is the one who gives him a book on selective muteness. She’s also the third person to start actively learning ASL. (Piper and Jason were first)
Relationships: Calypso/Leo Valdez
Comments: 3
Kudos: 63





	η σιωπή είναι χρυσός

**Author's Note:**

> The title translates to "Silence is Golden"
> 
> I did use google translate thought, so feel free to correct me.

Most people wouldn’t believe him if he said he was selectively mute. After all, how can the kid who never shuts up, never stops cracking jokes, be mute?

It’s rather frustrating.

As far as he could tell, it had always been like this. Ever since he was little, there were times his voice would just leave. Half the time it was tied to emotions. Sometimes it was because he was upset. Other times he was just so overwhelmed that he just… couldn’t.

Sometimes it was just because it was easier to not say anything. Silence was nice too.

It was his mother who had taught him sign language. At first, it was more for fun, something for them to learn together, like Morse code. 

When his voice failed him during a conversation with her, he realized just how useful ASL was.

Most of the time, he wouldn’t go more than a couple of days without talking, if only to reassure his mom.

When she gets trapped in the warehouse, he tries screaming for her, but his voice vanishes the moment dirt face shows up.

After his mom died, he didn’t speak for at least a month. And when his Aunt Rosa tried to force him to speak, it only made it worse.

Foster homes varied when it came to how well they took his occasional inability to talk. Some were indifferent, maybe learning just a little sign language, but mostly reading notes. One already knew ASL, which was nice. The worst were not the ones who were openly violent about it, but the ones who though simpering sweet bribery would work.

They just couldn’t seem to understand that he wasn’t  _ trying _ to be difficult, that it wasn’t something you could coax out of a person.

The wilderness school was a nice change of pace. For one, he met Piper. She soaked up basic sign language faster than anyone else when she found out. She never judged him if he didn’t want to talk, and they’d have entire conversations in sign language. (Jason learned quickly too, but Leo’s not sure if that counts since it never actually happened)

Camp Half-Blood wasn’t bad either. In the forges, unless you were collaborating with someone, there was no need to talk. 

He finds his voice easily when confronted by Gaia a second time. She deserved that toilet seat to the face.

Ma Gasket makes him realize that not being able to make a noise is very helpful when you’re on a stealth mission. 

It’s also a good excuse for avoiding conversation, an excuse Piper doesn’t have but managed to do anyway.

His voice fails him when he’s showing his siblings bunker nine, but Piper’s there, so it's no problem.

***

Annabeth is the one who gives him a book on selective muteness. She’s also the third person to start actively learning ASL. (Piper and Jason were first)

There’s a bubble in his throat when he’s confronted about firing on New Rome, but he chokes out what he hopes sounds like an apology before getting interrupted.

Everyone who didn’t know about Leo’s occasional muteness learns about it when they meet as a full group for the first time. His throat closes up again and he doesn’t think twice about signing to Piper that he didn’t know what happened…

...and now Percy, Hazel, and Frank are staring at him like he’s speaking another language. He is, technically, but it's still off-putting. 

Piper acts as translator thereafter, and Percy, Hazel, and Frank even try to learn the basics in case Piper isn’t there. They may stumble more than others, but the effort is greatly appreciated.

When Annabeth and Percy fall into Tartarus, he finds himself too upset to say anything. He doesn’t want to talk, but even if he did, he couldn’t.

Hazel seems to understand how he feels anyway.

**

Crashlanding on a deserted island was not his idea of fun. You crash land, and suddenly you have this ridiculously attractive girl yelling at you about her dining table. Calypso literally took his breath (and voice) away, but when she started cursing the gods, he found it easy to follow his favored method of verbal clap-back.

She learns about his occasional silence when she starts working with him. She doesn’t make a big deal out of it, thankfully, but from then on she makes it a point to tease him.

It's easier to respond to her teasing.

She noticed before he did.

When she kisses him, his throat doesn’t constrict, but his voice still decides to take a holiday.

He is surprised that he doesn’t completely choke up when his friends tried to interrogate him about what happened.

Pasiphae’s labyrinth makes him want to scream in frustration. Naturally, he can’t, so he settles for hitting the stone walls with a hammer. 

It's for the best he’s forced to stay quiet

***

He has no trouble finding his voice to taunt victory, but it's gone in an instant when she reveals one of them is fated to die.

He has no doubt it's him.

He is thankful his voice didn’t fail him when he needed it during the bargain with Apollo. By the time the bubble in his throat was too much, he’d finished the ValdezinatorTM, and just played, no talking required, and when he’s done the bubble is gone.

His throat clenches when Asclipeus looks at him like he  _ knows _ , but a look is sufficient enough to shut him up and his voice returned, albeit a tad strained.

When he and Festus drag queen dirt face to the sky, he finds no trouble yelling, screaming like he has to make up for all the times his voice failed him.

It comes naturally for now.

Finding Calypso a second time is the most incredible feeling. His voice is gone again, but neither of them care.

Just being together is enough.

And when they fly off into the unknown, no words are needed.


End file.
